China to dispatch first batch of supplies to help Pakistan in controlling locust disaster

China

BEIJING, March 8 (APP): China will dispatch the first batch of supplies to Karachi to assist the Pakistani authorities in controlling the locust disaster.

The first batch of the aid materials, to be dispatched on Monday will include 50,000 liters of pesticides and 14 air-powered high-efficiency remote sprayers, according to China Economic Net here on Sunday.

In order to help the locust eradication in Pakistan, an expert group led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Grassland Management Department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, China Agricultural University and Shandong Plant Protection Station has already visited Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab province from February 23 to March 4.

The expert group previously stated that in response to the Pakistani disaster relief materials and lack of experience, China has formulated a detailed assistance and training plan, emergency deployment of disaster prevention materials including pesticides, spraying vehicles, monitoring equipment to assist Pakistan which will arrive in Pakistan as soon as possible.

According to the expert group, in the current large-scale outbreak of the locust disaster in Pakistan, the spraying of chemical pesticides and biological pesticides is more conducive to the emergency treatment of locust disasters.

The experts believe that the next four to six weeks will be a critical period for the eradication of locusts in Balochistan.

The Chinese officials have expressed the belief that with the joint efforts of both sides, China and Pakistan will win the two battles of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the locust crisis.

It may be mentioned here that immediately after the outbreak of China’s new corona pneumonia, Pakistan immediately collected a batch of stock masks, protective clothing and gloves from public hospitals across the country and sent military aircraft to China.